2022 BMW i4 M50 Review // Earn Your M Badge 

And you forgot that horrid front end... its haunting.

It's JAMES !

Should be a pinned comment. Thanks James

@@cuteshadow the weird thing is it works better here than on the m3

thanks for clarifying the polestar 2 being an ICE platform. would you say the Polestar is done better in its conversion?

Holy shit I'm just now seeing how fast their channel grew up. Honestly they deserve it, their content is always top-notch.

Same I watched back before James existed

3/4s of the grill is blocked and doesn’t work. Doubling down on ugly.

Grills *do* cook things afterall.

*Cooling ...It's all good bro

@@yasithj4160 nobody likes the grammar gestapo. You knew what he meant.

@@yasithj4160 my thumb slipped lol

They're spoiled. And you're right, it's super fast.... and the sound. Everything is very cool.

I went and test drove one of these a few days ago, and "freaking rocket ship" sums it up nicely. These things are bonkers from a dig. What's great is that when it's traveling at high speeds, it still feels as fast (or faster) as my B58 powered M440i GC. What's more, it's just as comfortable and quiet too. It's like my M440i GC... just WAYYYYYYYYYYYY more power.

@@madpistolwhat is “GC”

@@mrcuboid Gran Coupe

@@madpistolhappy owner of a 440gc myself… love it but thinking to go electric i4…. I will not miss it?

Agreed. I think the problem we're seeing is that many manufacturers have not anticipated the full switch to EV vehicles globally as well as some others. Making a great EV is a totally different order than making a great gasoline powered vehicle. It's like asking Pepsi or Coca-Cola to hit the brakes on soda and start making the world's finest coffee. It is going to take most manufacturers many years to get these right. AND, what we perceive as normal and right will also have to change. An EV cannot feel just like a gasoline powered vehicle because it simply isn't the same at all.

BMW has lost its direction in recent years. From its design head being poached and BMW trying to appeal to the Chinese market they don’t make cars like they used to. When you say fuckit, steering is fine, use the petrol grill and they block 3/4 of it you have to wonder what other sacrifices or stupid decisions did they make for this car. I can see depreciation hitting this car like a landslide.

Like BMW would actually listen. Lol

I drove the car. It's great! These kids don't know shit.

@@Sophie-and-Ken pp

This is a really good EV for the people who want that in the market. I'ma still take my inline 6 turbo though 😆

Why would you consider this instead of the regular 440i though? Just curious. The 440i is the better car and is significantly cheaper.

@@robertperillo8738 no gas and the tax credit doesn’t hurt

@@robertperillo8738 depends on where your living. Here in the Netherlands the m50 (73k) is 15k cheaper than a m440i

This. The i4 is heavy since BMW took an existing 4 series GC and added the big battery pack but took nothing out. The reason the Model 3 is so light is because...have you sat in one? I have seen economy cars with more materials and build quality than anything in that Tesla. Yet, the Model 3 SR+ is $59k, or identical price to the i4 eDrive40. I know which one I rather pay for.

That’s ok, neither does Thomas I guess 😂

@@mrwagner01 lol

Neither i 😂

Can someone explain it though please 😅

@@lollypoofy substitute i4 with “eye for”

I got a Nissan Leaf 18 months ago, and it's B mode gives strong Regen, though not 1 pedal driving. Like lightly breaking, is almost like driving with a rheostat. After adjusting to it, I love it. Easier to drive smoothly in regular traffic

Yes and no. One pedal driving is less efficient and likely responsible for a lot of the range loss James experienced. There are no clear studies on impact to driver behavior (I would 'guess' any would be negligible). I have an ev and prefer normal pedal driving personally l, but I never committed to 1 and I'm still torn.

@@alwaysplaythegame well it's a luxury, and luxuries come at a price. Just like air conditioning really.

@@alwaysplaythegame One-pedal is ALWAYS more efficient when done correctly. If you just pull your foot off the pedal, then you're not driving one-pedal. Takes a couple of weeks to learn (change 2-pedal habits).

@@Chris21709 I'm just repeating what the car companies claim. A few have said that it's more inefficient and I'm sure that's on average and not if you trained yourself to not take your foot off (in which case it should be the same).

Great sound but sharing platform with Gas car just non sense and made i4 M50 with tiny Rear leg room and headroom... no sun curtain and Massage seats just NOT LuXURY!

@@StarryTemplar why would there be massage seats and sun curtains in a $65k daily driver EV... The $80k iX has those things you want (I know because I have one), but it's more expensive.

Stop trying, it's ugly

A lot of people said the same things about Lexus, but I doubt the feedback on BMW's style will age as well. Lexus and Audi's grilles work because they fit as part of a whole. BMW's look vestigial.

@@andrewduong2740 Audi and Lexus was "ok", they are large grills, that's all, BMW is an UGLY grill, the fact that its large makes no difference

@@andrewduong2740 Lexus grilles absolutely don't work on anything but the LC and somewhat the IS. That's why people still comment on how it ruins the front of every car they continue to curse it with. It's no better than BMWs grille. Both terrible design choices that they stubbornly refuse to step away from

A lot of people like the front now. When you look at “older” BMWs now, they look beautiful but “dated” if that makes sense.

🤘

i actually like these 🥲

I know, it's such an eyesore. I seriously think it's the worst looking bmw ever, and it's going to age so poorly.

Butt Print BMW

The fact they put their fugly grill on a EV, no words. I would never buy this shit.

@@2350J I like the M4 but standard 4 series and i4 just looks weird and out of place - with the m4 at least the rest of the body is aggressive and matches the grille

Yeah but they are functional - for the new gen BMW´s those will be sensor shields :)

It looks absolutely horrific

I think the 3 and 5 actually look really good but the other ones are weird, I agree

Can you send the link? Could not find anything legit on Google

Dude what leak? It hasn't been leaked so far, every supposed "leak" has been called out as a fake.

I really doubt BMW gives a toss about the steering feel on their cars anymore😂

But also, the mach-e is worse at everything else

Yeah, that's the most hurtful thing anyone has said to anyone in the history of dissing cars.

Yup just traded my m3p for one since i got a raise at my job and could afford one. Its really night and day once u get inside it brotha. Suggest u test drive one. Its also faster past 60mp it just keeps pulling unlike the tesla which kinda gives out. Having no HUD or gauge clusters is a really cheap way to cut cost from tesla side. Not having a HUD is insane for a supposibly tech car. U can feel the quality difference of the steering wheel and the interior. I was in the same boat as u when i saw one looks alot more aggresive and sleek then the model 3 and that new highland looks so ugly. Like a chinese fish

If Genisis can pull it off im in there!!

This is a gas car retrofitted to EV. Model 3 and Polestar 2 are ground up EV.

It's a gas car that's been tried and true, then refitted with an electric drivetrain. Any faults in a dedicated EV platform have to be worked out via the trials and tribulations of EV owners. BMW had this stuff figured out through their piston-driven models.

The problem is this car should be an i3 but they used that already.

It looks like a butt.

@C L lol. They can still share the platform and not the bumper!

bucktooth? I always see it as a "mustache" from that famous guy... in Germany...

While I agree mostly on your points, I'd say one of is strengths is that it doesn't look weird. It looks like a car. It's also afforded great chassis balance unlike its competitors. BMW is leveraging it's experience here in the geometry of a 3/4. Its certainly nowhere near as small as a golf or 1er so that's a big exaggeration.

I dunno I at least love that it’s a hatch. In a world where everyone is making everything into an suv at least give cars a hatch/sportback

Right, which is the downside to using an ICE platform. The upside is lower price. Once they can mass produce the EV platform (based on ix?), you get the added benefits of more space, less weight, and better range. And better pricing

Straight pipes are several levels below these guys. Wanted to reach through the screen and choke them on the several occasions I tried to watch a complete video of theirs.

People have said the eDrive40 is better since the front axle isn't burdened by an electric motor and as you said, lower curb weight.

*people who can’t afford the m50.

@ Read what I wrote, arrogant prick. The eDrive40 is the better car. I’ve driven both extensively and irrespective of cost I’d never choose the M50.

​@@timoldland Gotta take all the parameters of the equation into consideration: Your edrive40 must be SO MUCH FUN in the snow. My context in Canada is different than yours.

@@timoldland also, I am doing 90% highway. Not racetrack. Why should I care if the edrive40 behaves « slightly » better in turns… you will remember that when an m50 leaves you in the dust on the highway…

Wait wait wait... you actually like this hunk of crap electric car?!

@@squash7751 Yes, cause we're car fans. Not petrol sniffers.

@@paulklp8262 you're not a car fan. You're another piece of the general demographic that thinks, " ooooo electric go woosh and accelerate fast" that's not driving. That's riding the car.

@@paulklp8262 electric mx-5?! Car fan?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH

@@squash7751 You'll never evolve lmao

S C I E N C E

I want to call bullshit but I don't know enough about science to dispute you. So I'll just call bullshit anyways with the standard "NUH-UH PROVE IT, WHERES YOUR SOURCE" *foams at the mouth in nerd*

The colour is actually defined by the frequency of rafiation 're-emmited' ... so your analogy is confined to the potential energy balance of the solution. I don't think colour should be associated with electrons. Its fun to do that tho!

@@bd1487 Neat. *satisfied in asian*

@@codybrown5309 What do you mean?? ... didn't get ya

I had the e39 M5, the e93 M3, and now bought a model 3. I’m loving the Model 3! If BMW can get the performance and steering feel, they’ll have a real contender.

it is ugly

@@vickydada5595 Trust me the parts are better quality. I work on American and Japanese cars mainly now for the last 2 years after working on German cars for over a decade. German cars get a bad rap because they are literally 10 years ahead in technology. The front runners always take a beating first.

One word: center-of-gravity. In theory, it should be even more agile, but there's a lot more to it than just that.

@@vickydada5595 I do if you like what you drive. A extended warranty is always a good idea as long as it's a reputable company. My daily is a 2010 bmw 535i. I love it but I know it will cost more to maintain then a honda or ford.

They kind of do that in their own way though. They periodically compare it to other EV models throughout the video and they have been reviewing a LOT of EV models as of late. It's not really fair to have a top to bottom "good, better, best" scale though because in many cases they're reviewing vehicles that are completely different and unique in their own ways. But more importantly, there is such a wide price range that it complicates things. You cannot compare a Lucid Air to a Mustang Mach E for example. Or a BMW i4 to the new GMC Hummer. It just doesn't work.

I drove the car. It's really good. They are making jokes for nothing.

@@EbNorth you work for BMW, you’re copying this into every post?

@@harrison4ever125 I understand what you're saying and I do see that they are comparing EV models in their own way. In fact this is precisely why I asked for a Throttle House metric system (THMS). Each category can have a weighted point, so that it linearizes the THMS scale. All important points such as price, handling, interior , build quality, range will have a weighted range. So that we can compare a $50K model to a $100K model. This sort of systems are used everywhere, for most products. I know and appreciate their work, all in suggesting is putting a number to their final thoughts.

@@Sophie-and-Ken No. I repeated it like twice. Because it's true. The cars are great. Drive one.

They’re different size classes, so journalists expect less to begin with (the Lucid is much larger than the i4 and therefore expected to handle worse), and the Lucid is two to three times the price, so there is a greater engineering and parts budget for suspension design and componentry, which can start to overcome weight with tricks like adaptive air suspension, reduction of unsprung mass with aluminum, and the inclusion of harder to implement elements like double wishbone suspension. The same goes for the Porsche Taycan. BMW is trying to meet a price point here, and is therefore constrained for the time being until a dedicated BMW platform can be developed for EVs, and until economies of scale can start to bring the price of engineering and components down to better design and refine future models. It’s unfortunate that they couldn’t achieve these things out of the gate, but BMW needed a serious and relatively affordable EV on the market in a short period of time to stand out among their competitors (which they have, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have yet to release a more affordable EV model), and this results in what we have today. Hopefully these handling issues will be addressed and resolved soon!

@@connorscanlon6289 I don't disagree with any of your points, but the video merely stated that at 5,000lb it's not possible to have good steering. The vehicle class etc wasn't a proviso mentioned.

@@smokeymotorsport well a 7series and a s series weigh about that much. They are huge also in size and so is the lucid air. Have you seen the space in the back? It also has all types of luxury stuff that weigh also. Comparing a 3series to a 7series is probably not right so why are you doing the same with another brand? I'm sure people would rate a 330i to feel more responsive than a 7 series. Lucid air is comparable with a eqs or a Tesla model S plaid. Not a 30k car that car been slapped with an electric motor and a few batteries.

@@laxlife5050 You've sort of made my point for me. A huge saloon can still have a bit of life about it, while a 3/4 series apparently cannot. As for the price, I understand your point, but this is no longer a 30k car this high in the range, so it can't feel like one

@@smokeymotorsport I'm sure it can, but designing a cars structure from ground up to stand 5000lbs as standard is different then slapping 1500lbs on a car that isn't made originally to take that much weight. Probably materials are different also in heavier cars.

I was also going to buy this car but ended up buying a Model 3 Performance.

Same.. the NFS m3 is an iconic car

The M denomination used to mean “Motorsport”. Today, it stands for “Marketing”

Thanks for that ! Ordered one on behalf of my mother

Don't drive a model 3 performance, it's another level.

​@@foam27no its not the i4 is faster. Coming from a m3p owner. Past 60mph the i4 keeps pulling like it did when i first hit the gas. The m3p dies down. The i4 utilizes its power band better. Just watch the carwow drag race. I4 vs model 3 performance

Nope. The polestar does not have any steering feel at all, like all volvo's and the traction control cant be turned off completely. The only thing it has going for it is ohlins dampers and super rigid chassis.

@@jkeijzer1418 I mean I own one and track it just fine so let's not be so absolutist maybe

@@jkeijzer1418 personally I test drove both back to back. Besides the slightly lazier gas paddle feel to the Polestar 2, the body control of that car is actually quite nice. And with i4 M50 commencing a much higher price tag, it doesn’t feel particularly better.. Worst, it felt almost generic. As a current M5/M2 owner, it’s disappointing

Yeah. Grow on people like a bad rash. Or a fungus. Or the BLM movement. Or womens rights. You get the idea.

The fact they put that gill on an EV and blocked 3/4 of it just tells me they don’t give a shit any more. Same with the steering, they just don’t care. When you’re that bull headed to make a car like this when they whole world wants an old school BMW then your just making shit to sell because it has an M badge. I would stay away from this car, deprecation is going to hit it like a landslide.

YESSSSSS

Or a collab with the straight pipes

Test drove the i4 m50 the other day and it was a blast, build quality wise its an amazing car

There is also the taycan from porsche and the audi e-tron gt buf those are expensive

That’s because it’s not built as an ev from the ground up, dedicated ev cars are usually lighter than ev cars built off a combustion engined car chassis

It also costs less than half

Yep, downside of using ICE platform to start. At least it doesn't cost a lot more than the M4

Given that a Tesla 3's hood will dent if you close it with one hand, you have to ask yourself what are you sacrificing for that lesser weight?